News
Thailand news, politics, business, crime, lifestyle, and tourism—stay updated with breaking news and in-depth analysis from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond. The Thaiger delivers the latest national news that matters.
-
Sponsored 5 ways retirees in Thailand lose money (and how to stop it)
Retiring in Thailand can be affordable and enjoyable, but many retirees lose money due to common mistakes. High living costs, scams, and unexpected expenses can quickly drain savings. There are five ways that retirees in Thailand can lose money and...
-
Tsunami survivor opens school in Bangkok in recognition of Thai generosity
PHOTO: Howard Liang looks on as his daughter speaks at yesterday’s launch of the new international school – The Nation A Hong Kong businessman who was in Phuket with nineteen members of his family when the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami struck, is back in Thailand to build an international school near Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport. Howard Liang says the international school is…
-
Over 30,000 displaced in Narathiwat floods, southern Thailand
Out of almost nowhere, and amidst a looming drought for many parts of the country, heavy rains have left flooded areas in Narathiwat, in Thailand’s deep south, displacing over 30,000 people. Soldiers, government officials and volunteers yesterday rushed to the assistance of 37,171 people hit by unseasonal floods in five districts of the southern Thai province, according to Thai Rath.…
-
Thailand’s Army chief warns of a ‘proxy crisis’
PHOTO: Matichon The Army chief, General Apirat Kongsompong, is warning Thais about what he sees as a “proxy crisis” facing the country. The comments, without directly referring to the event by name, were a veiled criticism of the “Run Against Dictatorship” event coming up next month. The commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army took the “everything’s OK, but…” approach to…
-
Thailand ramps up drink-driving campaign for new year break
Government, police and local agencies are launching their annual no-drink-driving campaign to raise driver awareness and, hopefully, reduce fatalities during the New Year holiday, designated for December 27 to January 2. Speaking in support of the campaign, Deputy national police chief Wirachai Songmetta announced 10 points of advice to drivers and bike riders in an effort to reduce road accidents…
-
15 years on, over 300 tsunami victims from Thailand’s coast still unidentified
PHOTO: Phuket just moments after the Indian Ocean Tsunami hit the holiday island on December 26, 2004 – Associated Press/Stephen Trupp Fifteen years after the Indian Ocean tsunami killed upwards of 230,000 people on December 26, 2004, a container at the Takua Pa police station in Phang Nga, southern Thailand, still contains personal items from the hundreds of victims whose remains are unlikely…
-
The Thaiger is looking for a writer, in English, to join our team
The Thaiger is still looking for a full-time writer, in English. • You must be a native English speaker • You will work from our offices in Cherngtalay, Phuket • A visa and work permit are available • The Thaiger has full training available for the right applicant • You will have had some experience in writing, journalism or creative…
-
Popular UK website canes Mövenpick Resort in Bangtao, Phuket for its use of a baby elephant to entertain guests
A big international social media and entertainment website based in the UK, LADbible.com, which attracts around 18-20 million clicks a month, has caned a Phuket hotel over some photos of guests interacting with a baby elephant. The photos and story was circulated locally last week but has now been picked up by the popular website, spreading the poor publicity for…
-
Missing – Three people remain lost in boat incidents off Phuket
PHOTO: Newsflare The Polish and Thai couple that headed off Phuket’s southern beaches for an afternoon expedition nearly two weeks ago, are still missing. More searchers have been added as the search remains active, and widens. And an 18 year old crew from a speedboat, who fell overboard on Wednesday during a collision, hasn’t been seen since. Polish 26 year…
-
Following months of gridlock, Pattaya roadworks suspended, roads re-opened for ‘silly season’
PHOTO: Pattaya Mail Following concerns raised by the Pattaya Tourism Association, all roadworks in Pattaya, which have ground the city to a halt in recent months, will be paused for the holiday period, with roads re-opened to allow traffic to flow more freely. The Pattaya News reports that at a meeting held with city officials yesterday, the Pattaya Tourism Association…
-
Don Mueang tollway fee increase opposed by consumer agency
PHOTO: YouTube Plans to slap a 10% increase on the fee to use the Don Mueang Toll Way have been opposed by the Consumer Protection Board. The CPB is tasked with defending consumer rights and instigating legal proceedings in the case of infringement. Thai PBS World reports that the board claims the toll hike, which is due to come into…
-
School building, where 13 year old shot a fellow student, has been closed down
An entire school building has been closed following a fatal shooting of a 13 year old student by another student on Wednesday in Nonthaburi, Bangkok. The class, which both were students, has been suspended until next week. The 13 year old shooter told police he shot the victim “out of desperation after being repeatedly bullied”. After the daily flag raising…
-
Deceased captain from Wednesday’s Phuket boat crash had been the captain in another fatal boat crash
… meanwhile an 18 year old boat boy remains missing. Whilst the search continued for a missing boat crew, 18 year old Kittipong ‘Boy’ Samunboot, following a speedboat crash on Wednesday late afternoon off Phuket’s east coast, it’s been revealed that the captain of the boat, Surat Mat-osod, was involved in an earlier fatal crash at sea in 2014 off…
-
18 year old crew remains missing after boat collision off Phuket yesterday, one dead
PHOTO: Phuket People’s Voice The Royal Thai Navy continued searching off Phuket’s east coast today for 18 year old Kittipong ‘Boy’ Samunboot, a crew who fell overboard in yesterday’s collision between a tour boat and a large luxury yacht off Koh Khai Nok. The incident happened around 4pm. A search for the missing young man continued last night and was…
-
Activists propose amendments to same-sex marriage bill in Thailand
Activists from Togetherness for Equality and Action are broadening their push for an amendment to the Civil and Commercial Code that would to allow people to legally marry, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. Ekkawat Pimsawan, from the group, has submitted a proposal to amend the Code to Mukda Pongsombat, chairwoman of the House Standing Committee on children, youths, women,…
-
Why is Thailand’s PropTech market so valuable…
… and who will come out on top in the battle of the portals and hybrids, 2020 and beyond? How big is the Thailand economy? Is Thailand just for tourism? The explosive growth in the economy has now placed Thailand as the second largest economy in Southeast Asia. With over 70 million people now residing in Thailand, the country boasts one of…
-
Top 10 Feng Shui master tips to re-organise your home
The ancient wisdom of Feng Shui looks at how the life energy or “qi” in the environment, like our homes, affect our life, health, relationships, and prosperity. In this article, we want to share tips that some famous Feng Shui masters, who are sought after by celebrities, tycoons, politicians, and big brands, recommend to help you re-organise your house. Even…
-
Competition amongst discount airlines concerns Thai CAA
PHOTO: Travel Daily (the photo is for display only and does not reflect on the airlines depicted) Thailand’s airlines are strapped for cash, facing serious competition and discounted airfares, and the Thai Civil Aviation Authority is closely watching their safety standards. This from the CAAT director-general Chula Sukmanop. Sukmanop says he’s worried because many airlines, especially budget carriers, are facing…
-
Thai parliament officials apologise for Future Forward members’ kiss
“Let’s call a press conference to apologise for the last press conference…” Parliamentary staff have held a media conference to apologise for the behaviour of two male Future Forward MPs who exchanged a kiss during an earlier press conference held in the Parliament building. The Nation reports that the House Speaker’s secretary Tankhun Jit-Issara emphasised the need to behave appropriately in…
-
Paroled Thai serial killer “Jack the Ripper” spotted by two students before arrest
PHOTO: Alleged killer of his sixth victim on Sunday, Somkid Pumpuang (front centre), during his arrest in 2005 for five other murders Police arrested the paroled serial killer Somkid Phumphuang on a train in northeastern Thailand yesterday. He was wanted as a suspect in the killing of a woman in Khon Kaen province on Sunday. Police discovered Somkid, asleep next to…
-
Thai tourism officials hire fortune teller (it’s not what you think)
PHOTO: springnews.co.th A celebrity fortune teller has been engaged to promote the “Positive Energy” campaign being run by the Tourism Authority of Thailand to promote domestic tourism. Spring News reports that the tarot card reader and feng shui master Dr Khatha Chinbanchorn is being engaged as the face of the project to promote “positive energy”, making merit and environmental awareness.…
-
Boat crash near Koh Kai off Phuket – four injured
PHOTOS: Newshawk Phuket On Wednesday, December 18, there was a boat incident near Koh Kai, in Phang Nga. The collision is believed to have happened around 4pm. A speedboat on tour collided into a luxury yacht, which resulted in at least four injuries. One of the passengers on the yacht suffered a broken leg. When marine rescue arrived at the…
-
13 year old shoots classmate in Bangkok afters repeated taunts
PHOTO: Siam Nonthaburi Foundation A teenage schoolboy has shot dead a 13 year old classmate who he says had repeatedly insulted and bullied him at a school in Muang district yesterday morning. The fatal shooting occurred inside a public school in Bang Kraso, Nonthaburi, a north west suburb of Bankok. The 13 year old shooter was apprehended and taken to the…
-
Swedish national still missing in Bangkok
A Hat Yai woman has asked for police help in locating her Swedish husband, who went missing shortly after they arrived in Thailand from Stockholm last Thursday. 55 year old Begt Erik Gustafsson, a welder, allegedly left with a friend and hasn’t been seen heard from since. Sixty-five year old Amphorn Maksomboon filed a missing person report with Hat Yai…
-
15 year old Buriram girl forced to sell drugs for her boyfriend
PHOTOS: Sanook.com Police in Buriram north east Thailand, have rescued a 15 year old girl and arrested her 33 year old boyfriend after he threatened her with a gun to deliver drugs for his gang. The girl, known only as “Aum,” called her father, who told police his daughter was being kept locked in a rented room in Nang Rong…
-
Fugitive ‘serial killer’ Somkid arrested on Bangkok-bound train
Police have arrested the convicted killer Somkid Poompuang, who has been nick-named in Thai media as “Jack the Ripper” and “Kid the Ripper” this morning. He was on the run since a murder in Khon Kaen last Sunday. 55 year old Somkid was on a train at a railway station in the Pak Chong district of Nakhon Ratchasima province in north…
-
Doctor in southern Thailand issues warning after manicure goes VERY wrong
PHOTO: Facebook/Arak Wongworachat A doctor at a hospital in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat is warning women to exercise caution when choosing a nail salon and to ensure the facility follows correct sanitation procedures and only uses properly sterilised equipment. Dr Arak Wongworachat posted his warning online after a 35 year old female patient developed a serious infection…
-
Rescue workers find women sitting with 10 day old corpse, waiting for dead man to come back to life
After local residents complained of the smell coming from a house in Nakhon Nayok, north east of Bangkok, a medical rescue team was sent to the property only to find a rather sad situation. The Nation reports that the team arrived at the property to find a decomposing human body, with three women sitting in the kitchen. The rescue team then…
-
Thailand’s U-turn on agri-chemical ban shows US hitting where it hurts
PHOTO: matichon.co.th The US is piling the pressure on Thailand over its agri-chemical ban, and it appears to be working. A report by the Nikkei Asian Review claims the Kingdom’s proposed ban on three agri-chemicals – Paraquat, Glyphosate and Chlorpyrifos – would have affected American agricultural exports into Thailand. But the US President has weighed into the issue. Following news…
-
Thai man’s campaign to find his aunt, allegedly kidnapped by North Korea 42 years ago
Persistence. A Thai man, who believes his aunt was abducted by North Korea several decades ago, says he’s encouraged by Japan’s efforts to track down its citizens also thought to have been kidnapped by the rogue state. Thai PBS World reports that Banchon Panjoi was invited to a meeting in Japan organised by relatives of missing people believed to have been…
-
PM demands sentencing review after “Jack the Ripper” serial killer case
Thai PM Prayuth Chan-o-cha is ordering the justice minister to re-examine Thailand’s rules regarding sentence reductions and parole for violent criminals, after convicted serial killer Somkid Pumpuang, dubbed “Thailand’s Jack the Ripper,” was released from prison. He’s now the major suspect in another murder last Sunday, just seven months later after being released. “We have to be updated as the…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.